Author Topic: Goodbye Collecting (for the most part at least)  (Read 2971 times)

Offline Jim

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Goodbye Collecting (for the most part at least)
« on: August 24, 2005, 12:00 PM »
So how many of you have struggled with this.  With a new family member due in a couple of weeks, plus a buttload of several other uncontrollable issues in my life, I am giving up for the most part the majority of my collecting habits.  The disposable cash just wont be there with all that is going on in our lives right now. My son is starting preschool, oil and gas prices, property taxes going up for the 3rd time in 4 years among everything else with this f'ed up economy.  How tough have some of you found it to go practically cold turkey?  My main focus is army building, something I have been doing for 10 years now.  It will be tough.  I thought it would be best to just get rid of as much, as quick as possible.  I finished packing up all my army builders last night and was amazed at how much plastic I have.  Over 1000 army builders.  Its a disease I tell ya.  The only good part is that a woman who works with my wife got me in touch with a guy who collects and is really interested in 90% of what I have.  We spoke briefly last night and it sounds like I will be able to recoup a good part of the cash back, something that is rare.  I have been fortuneate to have alot of figs that held price farily well.  Notably Stormtroopers, Clones, Darktroopers, Arcs, etc. Its painful to see all the efforts of tracking down this stuff fade away.  Im left with basically buying a couple of each fig and thats its.  Way to much money.  I dont know how some of you folks do it.  Its painful I tell ya.  I think i'm going to need couciling for the withdrawls. 

Offline Morgbug

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Re: Goodbye Collecting (for the most part at least)
« Reply #1 on: August 24, 2005, 12:14 PM »
I'd say a lot of us are going through this these days, part of it being an older crowd here at JD.  I've certainly scaled back on buying stuff (especially "trade bait"), I've left behind McFarlane variants, #41 clones and other stuff a year or two ago I would have bought in a second. 

I think family (wife, kids, other responsibilities) plays a huge role in what happens.  Those are all more important than little hunks of plastic.  But I don't know anyone going cold turkey on it.  But I do know you're rather fortunate finding that guy.  Like Scott mentioned in another thread, I'm sitting on a pile of stuff I'm trying to unload prior to moving and it's a pain in the ass.  I'll probably scale back more as well, but not as much as Scott seems to be planning to be.  But I don't think I went in on as many lines as some people, but more than others.  I fortunately got out of McFarlane Sportspicks (mostly, not completely) while it was still popular, so I had some luck there.

Anyway, good luck with it, and yeah, it seems to be a bit of an obsession.
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Offline Dressel Rebel

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Re: Goodbye Collecting (for the most part at least)
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2005, 12:26 PM »
This is an unspeakable tragedy.

But can I buy your darktroopers?
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Offline Rob

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Re: Goodbye Collecting (for the most part at least)
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2005, 12:30 PM »
This is an unspeakable tragedy.

But can I buy your darktroopers?

I didn't want to be the first vulture to start pecking for scraps - thanks for breaking that ice...

I'm not looking forward to the day when I have to downsize or cut back... but it's not there for me yet - mostly because I have no kids and don't plan on having any anytime soon.  Sorry to hear that your cutting back.

But if there's left over troops - I'd be interested. :)

Offline Matt_Fury

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Re: Goodbye Collecting (for the most part at least)
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2005, 12:39 PM »
Back in Summer of 2002, I went on collecting Hiatus due to moving from Alaska and going to OTS for 3 months.

Once I got out and settled in California, I just didn't feel the need to get back into it save for a couple of figure (Saga Pilot Obi-Wan, and 12" Jedi Figures like Yoda, Plo Koon and Ki Adi Mundi) and a few bvehicles like the to scale X-Wing and Imperial Shuttle.

I did get into collecting Oddball stuff, like the Jedi Academy pennant I got from Disneyland and a few other items, but I didn't really get back into collecting until this year.  Even now though, I've scaled back, I don't buy two of each figure so I can open one, and I'm really more in to the prop replicas and the oddball stuff than I am the regular Hasbro lines.

I think the only thing I regret about my hiatus is missing out on the AOTC Obi-Wan LE Lightsaber.  :-[
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Offline Morgbug

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Re: Goodbye Collecting (for the most part at least)
« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2005, 02:24 PM »
This is an unspeakable tragedy.

But can I buy your darktroopers?

I didn't want to be the first vulture to start pecking for scraps - thanks for breaking that ice...

I'm not looking forward to the day when I have to downsize or cut back... but it's not there for me yet - mostly because I have no kids and don't plan on having any anytime soon.  Sorry to hear that your cutting back.

But if there's left over troops - I'd be interested. :)

Heh, get in line.  I already pm'd him about a single darktrooper.   :-*

yours, vulture1
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Offline JoshEEE

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Re: Goodbye Collecting (for the most part at least)
« Reply #6 on: August 24, 2005, 04:11 PM »
It's pretty funny. The first thing I thought of when reading through his first post is

"Man, I could see myself getting there in a few years too."

Then immediately afterwards

"Wow, he's an army builder with 1000 troops?  I wonder if I can buy some".

Which one do you think wins?

Dibs on the separtist army droids.   ;D
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Online Jeff

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Re: Goodbye Collecting (for the most part at least)
« Reply #7 on: August 24, 2005, 04:19 PM »
I'm not ready to say good -bye to collecting (I thik I'll always collect Star Wars 3.75" stuff), but me and a few others around these parts (you know who you are ;)) have really started stepping back from collecting as much as we used to collect.  I don't buy nearly as much stuff now as I did before.

The first step was the breaking of "buy 2 of everything" mentality and I started buying just one of most things...

The next step was the breaking of the "completionist OCD" I had and I started skipping things here and there...

Then, the final step was the breaking of the Army Building habit, teaching myself just 2 #41 Clones was fine...

It was pretty hard to break the behaviors, but with a few outside factors (as seems to be the case with most of us who are cutting back) and a few good friends going through the same type of withdrawl, I've really manage to reduce what/when/how I collect.  Can I give it up for good?  No way...

 :)
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Offline Mister Skeezler

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Re: Goodbye Collecting (for the most part at least)
« Reply #8 on: August 24, 2005, 04:41 PM »
Umm...got any VOTC Stormies?

You'll be back!!!  ;)
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Offline Darth Broem

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Re: Goodbye Collecting (for the most part at least)
« Reply #9 on: August 24, 2005, 10:25 PM »
Yeah, it's a never ending battle for me that leads nowhere.  I just can't decide what to get rid of and when and it just stalls and stalls and yet I buy more and more.  I will get strict about it someday...maybe.

Offline iFett

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Re: Goodbye Collecting (for the most part at least)
« Reply #10 on: August 24, 2005, 10:43 PM »
I feel your "pain" as I'm going to have to put SW collecting on hiatus for at least the next six months to 2 years due to life events.  I've been a 3 3/4" completionist on all carded figs and boxed vehicles/playsets since POTF2 through ROTS of which I started collecting when Ep1 came out. 

On average I've had about 2-3 small/large (if not more) purchases per week since 99 be it online or from retail so it's going to be hard for me to not have anything new to look forward to SW-wise each week.  I'll still be able to pick up a few basic figs now and then, but I'll unfortunatley have to look forward to picking up where I left off on Ebay.
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Offline Brian

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Re: Goodbye Collecting (for the most part at least)
« Reply #11 on: August 25, 2005, 09:19 AM »
Good luck in your decision, I'm sure it will be kind of tough...at least at first.  Like Jeff mentioned, I think the whole concept of cutting back, or in some cases quitting, is something many of us around here have thought about lately.  I'm in the same boat where I'll likely be collecting Star Wars 3 3/4" until the end, at least in some capacity, but I've started to re-evaluate anything beyond that.  Part of it is the financial aspect, part of that is just the space to display it, and part of it is changing tastes as well I guess.  I have always enjoyed collecting, and collecting Star Wars in particular, so I'm sure there will always be some of that going on.  Beyond the "basic" area of interest though, I'm trying to limit things a lot more.  Part of this might be the fact that this was/is by far my most expensive year, and now looking at some of the miscellaneous crap stuff I've picked up due to the ROTS hype, I've realized I need to keep things in check a little more.  Like I said, sorry to see you go from the collecting ranks, but hopefully you'll still be able to hang out here and even collect something here and there if you want to.  Its nice having a community like the one here at JD, where everyone is supportive and...in many cases....going through the same types of situations or decisions.

Offline Mister Skeezler

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Re: Goodbye Collecting (for the most part at least)
« Reply #12 on: August 25, 2005, 10:33 AM »
I look at it this way...the line won't last forever. And when it ends, its probably not coming back. So when that happens, what I have is all I'll have (for SW).

Though, its much easier for me to think that way because I don't have kids. Only a fiancee and a dog.
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Offline Dressel Rebel

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Re: Goodbye Collecting (for the most part at least)
« Reply #13 on: August 25, 2005, 09:24 PM »
Morgbug:



Dressel:



KBZ:




JoshEEE:

This is what happens when you invade Wakanda

Offline Darth Slothus

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Re: Goodbye Collecting (for the most part at least)
« Reply #14 on: August 25, 2005, 10:38 PM »
I've been finding myself in a bit of a pinch lately as well with it being a movie year and all....I tell you paying for school gear, food and clothes for an 8 and 11 year old annually is worth it albeit costly. I've definately had to scale back with every thing Hasbro is offering this year- but recue comes in the form of a 300$ a month raise in October just in time for the holiday exclusives to hit. Phew-I'm so lucky- Hey, I not here to forage. But that was some collection you had!!! I pity your situation- maybe something will turn and you will luck out :)